Transparent sheet protector



July 10, 1962 H, ENGELSTEIN TRANSPARENT SHEET PROTECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 6, 1957 INVENTOR. lla/@ow [/vGasrc//v ,arme/vers July 10, 1962H. ENGELSTEIN 3,043,737

TRANSPARENT SHEET PROTECTOR Filed May 6, 195'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR. I Memo '/ysasrf//v BY @Ma/7M Army/vers Uite States Patent 3,043,737TRANSPARENT SHEET PRTECTOR Harold Engelstein, Far Rockaway, N.Y.,assignor to lEnbee Transparent Specialty Company, Inc., New York, N.Y.,a corporation of New York Filed May 6, 1957, Ser. No. 657,320 1 Ciaim.(Cl. 156-196) The present invention relates generally to transparentsheet covers, and more particularly to protective folders and envelopesadapted to display sales material, catalog sheets and the like andincluding an integral pocket or tab for receiving indexing strips orother identifying inserts.

In order to protect sheets from wear and tear, it is known to make` useof transparent, flexible folders or jackets. The sheet insert may be inthe form of sales material, graphs, price lists, photographs and otherdocuments requiring a protective casing. Such folders are generally madeof clear plastic material and by virtue of electrostatic effects betweenthe plastic and the paper, the inserted sheet is held within the folderwithout the need for pasting. The folders may be mounted as leaves in aring binder or album, or a flip file construction may be employed toprovide a convenient means for displaying the sheets. l

Heretofore protective folders have been fabricated by folding a broadweb of clear plastic material to form a jacket. The manufacture of suchfolders entails high precision machines designed not only'to make thecomplete folder but also functioning to lintroduce black album papertherein as a background for the sheet to be inserted. To attach an indextab to the folder it is necessary in a separate operation to anneal orheat-weld a plastic tab to the outer edge of the folder at apredetermined position thereon. Y Y

The application of index tabs to the folders not only contributesmaterially to production costs but it has the further drawback of addingto the overall thickness of may be carried in a given binder.Furthermore, since the folder is made by folding a relatively broadwebof plastic material, the machinery involved is complex and expensive andthe rate of production is relatively slow.

Accordingly, it is the main object of this invention to provide animproved method and apparatus for producing transparent sheet protectorsand envelopes efficiently and at high speed.

Also an object of the invention is to provide a transparent sheetprotector having an edge pocket integral therewith for receiving anindexing strip or other form of identification.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a sheetprotector constituted by separate panels of plastic material insuperposed relation which are interconnected by parallel ribs of stripmaterial to define an inner jacket for insertion of a sheet to bedisplayed and an outer pocket for insertion of an index card.

Also an object of the invention is to provide a transparent protectiveenvelope having an edge bead therein for accommodating a supporting rod,the envelopes being arranged in overlapping relation in a flip iileA andincluding an integral index pocket.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a low cost techniquefor producing strong and durable transparent protectors and envelopes.

For a better understanding of the invention as well as other objects andfeatures thereof, reference is had to the following detailed descriptionto be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein likecomponents in the several views are represented by like referencenumerals.

lCC

In the drawing:

FIG. l is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of a transparentsheet protector in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the plane indicatedby lines 2--2 ink FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the plane indicatedby lines 3 3 in FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the planes indicatedby lines 4 4 in FIG. l.

- FIG. 5 shows in elevation an envelope in accordance with the inventionarranged in a flip le device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one envelope and its supporting rod. Y

FIG. 7 is a transverse section taken in the plane indi` cated by line 77 inv FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a machine assembly formanufacturing a sheet protector of the type shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a plan view taken in the plane of line 9 9 in FIG. 8.

FIG. l0 is a transverse section taken in the plane of 4line 1ti 1 0inFIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a transverse section taken in the plane of line 11 11 in FIG.8. v

Referringnow to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4,thesheet protector P is constituted by two transparent rectangularpanels 10 and 11 in superposed relation. The panel is formed of clearilexible plastic, such as cellulose acetate. The bottom panel 11 has awidth greater than the top panel, the excess margin thereof being foldedover the top panel to provide a ilap 12 serving to lock in the left edgeof the protector. Sandwiched between the top and bottom panels andadhesively secured thereto are ribs formed by strips 13 and 14, strip 13being .aligned with the right edge'of the panels and strip 14 beingpositioned inwardly thereof in parallel relation to the outer strip. v

Thus the panels are enclosed at the left by aps 12 and at the right edgeby strips 13 and 14 to dene a major jacket space 15 and a minor pocket`space 16. The Vpocket-and jacket constitute parallel channels.Contained in the jacket 15 is a sheet 17 of black album paper to providea background for display sheets later to be inserted.

The flap 12 serves not only to lock in the leftV edge of the protectorbut also as a reinforcement, the left edge portion having spaced holes18 punched therein for use of the protector as a removable leaf in aring binder. The pocket portion 16 of the protector is die-cut to forman index tab 18 into which may be placed an index card or otheridentifying matter. As a further aid to distinctive identification, thestrips 13 and 14 may be pigmented.

Alternatively, in place of strips the two panels may be bonded togetheralong parallel lines. This may be accomplished by electronic sealing'mechanisms or other known means. Thus the protector is flexible, dirtand grease-proof and will resist Wear and tear. The use of mountingsheets 17 is, of course, optional. The holes 18 may be eyeletted ifdesired.

In the flip file envelope shown in FIGS. 5 to-7, the construction isbasically the same as the folder previously disclosed. The envelope Eincludes top and bottom panels 19 and 20 and parallel ribs formed bystrips 21 and 22 `adhesively secured to the panels and defining an indexpocket 23 and a jacket 24 for receiving a sheet insert. The jacket 24 isdie-cut to constitute an integral index tab 25. The bottom panel 20 ismade wider than the top panel 19 and is curled thereover to form an edgebead 26 extending the full length of the envelope.

The bead is hollow and provides a channel for a springsteel rod 27. Therods of the various envelopes, as shown y thereto.

iniFIG. 5, are mounted at parallel positions between two supports 28 and29 aliixed to a board 30 whereby the envelopes lie in overlappingrelation kto provide a flip file structure. The various tabs 25 arestaggered in the usuall manner so that they may separately be viewed andmanipulated.

The preferred arrangement by which the protectors shown in FIG. l or theenvelopes illustrated in FIG. may be manufactured automatically isillustrated schematically in FIGS. 8 to 171. The webmaterial 31 for the'upper panel is drawn from a roll 32 and the web material 33 for thelower panel from a roll 34. Black album paper in web form 35 is drawnfrom a roll 36. 'Ihe two strips 37 and 38 constituting the ribs aredrawn as continuous ribbons from separate rolls, only one of which is Yindicated -in FIG.y 8 by roll 39.

The various Webs' and ribbons pass in superposed relation throughpressure rollers 40 and 41, guides being used to maintain the properrelation of the ribbons. The ribbons l37 'and 38 first are conductedover rollers through adhesive baths, such as bath 42, serving to coatboth sides with liquid cement or other suitable bonding solutions. Thuswhen the webs and ribbons are conveyed through the pressure rollers, thevarious plies are bonded together.

As best seen in FIG. 9 the bottom Web 34 is broader than the top web 31to provide a marginal ap 43 which is folded over the top web in afolding die 44. The material then passes through a heat and pressuredevice including two pairs of continuous moving belts 46 and 47 incooperative relation and a heating element 48 which Vacts upon thethermoplastic material to make a permanent fold by softening thematerial before pressure is applied In the event an envelope is beingmade rather thanva folder, the folding die is replaced by an appropriatebeading die.

The belts 46 and 47 are motor driven and act continuously to draw thewebs and the ribbons from their rolls. The next stage of the machine isa reciprocating cut-olf device, generally designated by numeral 48, andincluding a knife to slice the web material into folders of the desiredlengths and at the same time to punch the holes at the ap edge. Sincethe cut-off device 48 acts intermittently, it is necessary to run thebelts 46 and 47 at a speed causing the formation of a loop 49 in thelaminated Web and to make use of a reciprocating draw feed 50 or similarindexing means to carry the laminated web into the cut-olf device. Thecut folders are stacked at pile 51 and-may later be die-cut to form theintegral tabs.

In manufacturing the protective covers, it is also possible to precutthev panels and to interconnect them by pre-cut ribs, the excess marginthen being bent over and heat-pressed to form a bead or ap, as required.The continuous technique described hereinabove provides however a highrate of production which may be carried out with precision to producecovers of high quality.

While there has been shown what is considered to be preferredembodiments of the invention, it will be manifest that many changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from the essentialspirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

The method of producing protective covers comprising the steps ofconcurrently feeding two webs of transparent plastic material insuperposed coplanar relation and two ribbons of plastic strippinginterposed between said webs, adhesively combining said Webs and ribbonsto `form a laminated band in which said Webs are interconnected by saidribbons, one of said ribbons being adhesively secured to one edge ofeach of said webs, the other ribbon being parallel to said first ribbonand being spaced a relatively short distance therefrom to `define anarrow channel therebetween, one of Said Webs being broader than theother to provide an excess margin, bending over said excess margin tolook-in the other edge of said laminated band, periodically cutting`said band to provide individual covers of the desired length anddie-cutting the channel on each cover to` provide an integral tab forreceiving an index card.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,733,305 `Hutchings Oct. 29, 1929 1,745,119 Rand Jan. 28, 19301,937,327 Sibley Nov. 28, 1933 2,003,854 Cox June 4, 1935 2,260,407Schade Oct. 28,' 1941 2,435,221 Jones Feb. 3, 1948 2,700,009 RudavskyJan. 18, 1955 2,701,223 Marcus Feb. 1, 1955 2,726,187 Ringer Dec. 6,1955 p FOREIGN PATENTS 524,275 Great Britain Aug. 2, 1940 570,942 GreatBritain July 30, 1945 1,123,253 France June 4, 1956 11,791 Germany Nov.8, 1956

